Electrical time-annunciator



{No Model.)

B. M. EDGERTON. ELECTRICAL TIME ANNUNOIATOR.

No. 543,000. Patented July 23, 1895.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD IWIUNSON EDGERTON, OF CHIOAGQ, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRICAL Tl M E-AN N U NCIATO R.

SYECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 543,000, dated July 23, 1895.

Application filed'liehruary 12, 1892. Serial No. 421,352. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD MUNSON ED- GERTON, of Chicago, in the county of Cook, State of Iilinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electrical Switch or Index Boards, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates more particularly to improvements upon the electric alarm-clock for which I obtained Letters Patent of the United States March 17, 1891, No. M8325; and its object is to enable an alarm or signal to be sounded or made in one or several different rooms at the same time or at different times, and which will continue for a given time unless sooner terminated by the occupant of the room, substantially as hereinafter fully described, and illustrated in the drawings, in which Figure 1 shows a front elevation of a clock having my improvements applied thereto arranged for a six-room alarm, and Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical view showing the connection between the annunciator'index and annulus. Fig. 3 is a detail view showing a side elevation of the magnet, switch-bar, and releasing devices therefor.

I employ substantially the same clockwork 13, substantially the same annulus O, and substantially the same arm F for establishing the contact between the said annulus and clock as are employed in the subject-matter of my aforesaid Letters Patent. I also employ substantially the same switchboard G, but with this important exception, to wit: instead of having contact-plates which must be united by a metallic pin inserted between them, I provide a number of contactpoints a, the heads of which project slightly from the outer surface of the switchboard, which I dispose of in a circular arrangement around the pivot of the brush I), so that any one of said points can be closed to the circuit by turning the brush b until it comes in contact with the said point. The brush is secured to the end of a suitable sleeve which passes through and is j ournaled in the switchboard and is electrically connected to the positive end of the wire K. The reason I arrange the contact-points a in a circle is because I can thus economize space and greatly simplify and economize on the cost of construction over the arrangement for closing the circuit illustrated in the drawings of my aforesaid patent. These points a, it will be understood, are each connected by a suitable wire E to some one of the metallic strips (1 embedded in the annulus, according to the arrangement described in the aforesaid patent. I employ one circle of contact-points or index for each arm in connection with which my improvements are used; and for the purpose of still further economizing space on the switchboard I dispose of the contactpoints in each index so as to make them describe the outline of a twelve-pointed star, the points of said stars indicating the hours, and the three intermediate points of the star representing intervals of fifteen minutes apart. Now the brush 1) is turned until it is in 0011- tact with the points a, indicating any time at which it is desired to signal or sound the alarm in the room which is in the same circuit as said index. When the said arm F closes the circuit by coming in contact with the strip 01 in the annulus, which is electrically connected to the contact-point just referred to, the current passes from the battery I over the wire G to the bell h, then over the wire K to the brush 1), through the contactpoints over the wire E to the annulus, from thence through the arm E to the clock, and from the clock over the wire R hack to the battery. In the circuit thus established there is a switch, which is preferably placed between the clock work and the battery, and which is operated to open the circuit by the actof the occupant of the room in which the bell h is located by pushing on the button H. This switch consists of a suitable spindle 0, ex-

tending through and journaled in the front of the clock-frame, below the switchboard. Its front end is provided with an arrow-shaped pointer or indicator i, and its rear end extends through but is insulated from the magnet X and has mounted thereon the switchbar J. The switch bar J is secured to the gravitate.

when the indicator 2' is in a horizontal position, is such that the plain end thereof will be in contact with the brush m, secured to the positive end of the wire R, and the opposite end will be in contact with the brush to on the negative end of the wire R leading direct to the battery. These brushes are made of flexi ble metal and are so shaped that when the said bar is released they assist in giving it impetus to make the bar turn and thus break the circuit normally established through the wires R R.

The magnet is closed to the same auxiliary circuit L that thepush-button H is in, and to which current is supplied by the battery M, so that when the auxiliary circuit is closed by pushing on the push-button H the magnet is energized. When this magnetis energized it attracts and draws toward it the armature N. This armature has a flexible metal shank, which is secured to an arm extending from the lower part of the frame carrying the magnet, and its upper end has an opening sufficiently large for the adjacent end of the spindle to easily pass through and has an outwardly-projecting pin 0, which, when said bar is in the normal position hereinbefore referred to, enters behind the spur r, projecting from the upper edge of the boss of the switchbar, and holds said bar in the position in which it would be when it is closed to the brushes m and n. When the auxiliary circuit is closed the magnet attracts the armature, thereby withdrawing the pin 0 from behind the spur r and releasing the bar, which immediately turns until its weighted end strikes against and is stopped by the gagescrew 8.

The object of thus limiting the movement of the weighted end of the bar by the gagescrew sis to prevent the spindle from turning any farther than would be required for the indicator on the outer end thereof to point to the index just above it, so that when the occupant of the room in which the bell is sounded responded by pushing upon the push-button the indicator pointing to the index would be considered as a return-signal to show that the alarm had been efiective.

It will be understood that there is an index for eachroom in conjunction with which my improvements aroused, and there is likewise a return-signal and switch for breaking the.

circuit through wires R B. When there is more than one room inmy improved system, for economy of construction I electrically connect the corresponding contact-points of each index. There is, however, necessity for an auxiliary circuit for each room, so that there may be a distinct return-signal therefrom, and so that the breaking of the circuit of the wires R R used in conjunction with one indicator may not be afiected by the indicating mechanism of other rooms.

What I claim as new is- 1. The combination with an electric circuit,

clock work, annulus, arm F, and switch-board, k

of a switch-bar J suitably pivoted about its center of length and having one of its ends weighted, which normally connect the terminals of a-break in the said circuit, a magnet, an auxiliary electric circuit, and a push-button for closing said auxiliary circuit, thereby vitalizing said magnet and causing the release of said switch-bar so as to open the main circuit, as set forth.

3. The combination with an electric circuit, clock work, annulus, arm F, and switch-board, of the pivoted switch-bar J normally connecting the terminals of a break in said circuit and provided with the spur r, a magnet, and armature provided with a pin 0 an auxiliary electric circuit, and a push-button for closing said auxiliary circuit thereby vitalizing said magnet and causing the release ofthe switchbar so as to open the main circuit, as set forth.

4. The combination with an electric circuit, clock work, annulus, arm F, a series of contact-points arranged in a circular manneraround the br'ushl), and said brush pivoted in the center of said series of contact-points and capable of contact therewith, and, together with said points, constituting the terminals of a switch in said circuit, of a switchbar J normally connecting the terminals of a break in said circuit, a magnet, an auxiliary electrical circuit, and a push-button for closing said auxiliary circuit thereby vitalizing said magnet and causing the release of said switch so as to open the main circuit, as set forth.

5. The combination with an electric circuit, clock work, annulus, arm F, a series of contact-points arranged in a circular manner around the brush 1), and said brush pivoted in the center of said series of contact-points and capable of contact therewith, and, to gether with said points, constituting the terminals of a switch in said circuit, of the switch-bar J, spindle c on the rear end of which said switch-bar is mounted, an indicator i on the forward end thereof normally con-f necting the terminals of abreak in said circuit, an auxiliary electrical circuit, and pushbutton for closing said auxiliary circuit thereby vitalizing said magnet, and cause the release of said switch-bar so as to open said main circuit, as set forth.

EDWARD MUNSON EDGER'ION. Witnesses:

E. A. THEARLE, W. E. PAGE. 

